Bible sales have hit record highs in Britain – and I’ve got 3 theories on what’s driving the increase

By now, you’re probably already aware of last year’s Bible Society research that showed Gen-Z is heading into church. The ‘Quiet Revival’ has been discussed at length, and loudly. Now, at the start of 2026, we’ve got new data that shows an equally exciting trend. Not only are people walking into churches, but they’re also picking up Bibles. 

As a publishing director at SPCK Group (The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge) both of these are exciting. It’s the progression that we as Christians hope for; people will connect with a faith community and be sufficiently intrigued that they decide to engage with the source material: the Bible.  

Many commentators and scholars have suggested social, political and spiritual reasons that could explain the trend. There are many theories and I’m harbouring three of my own. 

1. Turns out having ‘everything’ wasn’t so great 

The digital age has given Gen-Z a level of convenience my parents wouldn’t have been able to fathom when they were in their twenties. They will never need to thumb through an encyclopaedia for answers, wait for a bus with no idea if it’s three or 30 minutes away or even walk to the chip shop to collect a takeaway. We have all the knowledge and connectivity at our fingertips.

We are better looking and more informed than previous generations but also more anxious than ever before.  

People are realising that they have so much, but it’s all the wrong things. There’s a hollowness to achieving the better body, higher follower count or bigger salary you’ve strived for, only to realise it didn’t solve anything. The same insecurities and anxieties plague the slightly more “successful” version of you too.  

I believe that this is part of what’s driving people to look outside themselves and their personal achievement. Instead, they need to feel that something is real, that there is something beyond their own lives that truly matters. And perhaps they’re finding it in the Bible.  

Perhaps they’re seeing that the deeper sense of security and fulfilment that was promised by the world, can actually come from knowing Jesus. Maybe the generation that has everything wants more – more real, more truth, more consistency, more outward facing, more generosity and more peace. More God-like. 

2. Gen-Z aren’t as work-shy as the media claims 

I would take on anyone who tells me Gen-Z won’t work hard. This is a generation who have been raised on the 5am club, protein targets and Steven Bartlett’s ‘The Diary of A CEO’. When they are passionate about achieving something, there is no amount of consistency or discipline that will scare them off.

They want to establish a social media presence; they post online twice a day. They want to reach a target in the gym; they train for 45mins every day come rain or shine. They know that big goals require small, consistent efforts and it’s not a problem for them. 

Previous generations didn’t want to be told what to do or given instructions. They wanted freedom, but Gen-Z can see the anxieties that that freedom has left us with. 

This generation is built for spiritual practice. If growing in the likeness of Jesus becomes a passion for them, the spiritual disciplines and formation practices become a challenge to be embraced and not a chore. When they realise that this is a lifestyle that leads to peace, gentleness, self-control and the other fruits of the spirit, there will be no stopping them.  

3. Maybe we’re not doing anything 

Finally, and maybe controversially – what if none of this has anything to do with our work?

Sure, we can look at the social factors, how perceptions of the church have changed and what they offer now, but what if God’s just calling and people are listening? Maybe we’d be seeing the exact same response with totally different social and political factors at play. Maybe it is just God at work. 

I’ve heard stories of people dreaming that they need to go to church and showing up the next day and of people walking past Church buildings and coming in to hear the music. That’s not a preacher’s clever phrasing, or even a well-timed carol concert invite. It’s God’s leg work. He’s out there, telling people to come in. Maybe we’ve just got to be ready, arms outstretched, to offer a warm welcome.